


Running Into . . .

by AJsRandom



Series: Trope Bingo [10]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Celebrity, Coffee Shop, F/M, Paparazzi, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-20
Updated: 2015-06-20
Packaged: 2018-04-05 05:35:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4167900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AJsRandom/pseuds/AJsRandom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Actress Morgana ducks into Merlin’s coffee shop to hide from paps. Fills celebrity.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Running Into . . .

The hood and sunglasses had evidently _not_ worked to fool the paps. The snakes had followed her anyway—she couldn’t even shop for her brother’s birthday gift in peace. She crossed the street and ducked into the first shop door she saw.

Looking up, she saw a skinny dark-haired man behind the counter. All around him was coffee-making equipment. _A coffee shop then_. She whipped off her sunglasses and said the first thing that came to mind, “Hide me, please.”

The man looked more than a little surprised but nodded and said, “Okay.” He glanced behind him then said, “Here, the restroom. I’ll tell them you went out the back.”

“Thank you.” She slipped inside the room he was pointing to, locked the door and left the light off.

She heard the bell ding on the door to the outside. Several loud voices spoke at once. She couldn’t hear much, but her name was mentioned more than once. The shop owner replied in a much milder tone, telling them the cover story he’d come up with. After a bit of arguing, the door’s bell dinged again and the loud voices left. She sighed and relaxed against the door.

A minute or so later, she was startled by a soft knock. “Miss Le Fay? They’re long gone. You can come out now.”

Morgana opened the door to the bluest eyes she’s ever seen. “Thank you . . .”

“Merlin.”

“Thank you Merlin. I definitely owe you. Can I maybe autograph something for you?”

“Um, that would be lovely, Miss Le Fay—”

“Morgana, please.”

“Morgana. Um, here . . .” He rummaged around his counter and came up with a cardboard cup cozy and a permanent marker.

She took both from him and smiled. “You’re so much nicer than the people I usually deal with.” She set the cozy on the counter and signed it, also writing her London phone number. The _private_ number. “If there’s ever anything I can do for you, let me know.” She thought for a moment. “Any ideas for a better disguise?”

“Oh sure. Here.” He took off his apron and handed it to her. He also handed her a T-shirt and ball cap with the shop’s logo. “Tuck your hair up into this and put on the shirt and apron. You can take my friend’s reading glasses. I’ll just get him a new pair.”

She smiled and took everything he held out to her then went back into the restroom. When she came out a few minutes later, he looked her over. “Much better. Though it’s you that makes the outfit, not the other way around.”

Morgana smiled again. “You _must_ let me pay for all this.” He started to shake his head. “No, I insist. And I’ll need another t-shirt. I ventured out today to get my brother a birthday gift and I think he’ll love this.”

“Thank you Miss—Morgana.”

She pulled out her card and paid. “No, thank _you_. And remember, I still owe you a favor.” With that, she swept out of the shop, the bell dinging merrily.

Merlin drooped back against the wall and slid down it. _No one will ever believe this story_ , he thought.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Of Cozies and Caps (A Run To You Remix)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10930290) by [clotpolesonly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/clotpolesonly/pseuds/clotpolesonly)




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